


closer

by demontide



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Gen, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 01:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demontide/pseuds/demontide
Summary: It would be a complete lie if you said that you had no ulterior motives.By the end of today, you hoped you'd have a new friend in Roxas.





	closer

 

  Before you entered the store, you shook your umbrella by the doorway to get rid of the excess raindrops clinging to its skin. Wrapping it closed, you set it by the entry whilst brushing your wet shoes against the doormat.

  Christmas was just around the corner, but unfortunately it had been raining all week. 

  A chance of snow was impossible in a world like Twilight Town. It seemed to be in a constant and unwavering temperate and mildly humid climate. Many tourists and visitors of other worlds have always revelled in Twilight Town's subtropical climate, but you thought otherwise. It was kinda lacklustre if you were being honest. And the constant sticky-wet weather was nothing but a pain in the ass. 

  Oh, how you despised the feeling of sweat accumulating on your skin and the unforgiving sun beating down on your back. And not to mention the freak thunderstorms that visited here and then. You only sighed as you stared raindrops racing down the glass panes of the store's display window. It would be nice if it stopped by the time you went home at least.

  All misgivings were banished from your mind as your gaze shifted to the items displayed on the shelves of the store. At the sight of quality art materials and professional art tools labelled in sunshine yellow  _ON SALE_  stickers and with scribbled-on  _30% OFF MARKED PRICE_ and  _HOLIDAY SPECIAL_  all over their plastic wrapping. Your eyes sparkled and your mind went overdrive.

  Making a beeline towards the watercolour paints, you grabbed a set and tucked it safely under your arm. You didn't know how long you stood in the aisle pondering whether to buy new brushes or not, and if you did, which brand should you choose. Well,  _what the hell,_  you thought. You weren't gonna see a sale this good anytime soon. And with that thought in mind, you grabbed the brush set and bit your lip, suppressing your excitement to use them.  
  
  Before you made it to the cashier, you stopped by another aisle and grabbed a nice pastel set and hardback sketchbook for Namine. Pastels were her favourite tool to use, with the way all the colours blended softly together and that there were rarely ever any harsh or obstructive lines. It reflected her personality in a way, you mused.  
  
  The cashier seemed to be one of the bubbly old lady types. When you approached the counter, her eyes lit up and she gave you a toothy grin and greeted you. You nodded, feeling a bit awkward and handed her the items. She took it in her own worn down hands gingerly before setting them on the counter and calculating the cost.  
  
  "Oh, this is a marvellous choice for a gift." Her wrinkly hands smoothed over the plastic wrapping of your watercolour paints. You forced a smile at her. It would be kind of awkward explaining that the paint set was not a gift but merely just you treating yourself.  
  
  "The  _Sakura_  paints are rather popular, they're always the first to run out of stock especially during holiday sales," she continued. You listened and nodded while fishing your wallet out of your school bag. She told you the final cost and you placed the bills on the counter which she gladly took, and then you emptied the coins in your wallet, pushing a handful towards her with a smile. She gave you a slightly exasperated look before counting the coins one by one and then giving you the excess.  
  
  The mess of coins didn't put a stop to her cheery mood however as she gave you a grin again. "Do you want me to wrap these up for you, sweetie? Free of charge?"  
  
  "That won't be necessary. Thank you though!" You smiled back.   
  
  "Well, all right. Here you go." She handed you the plastic bag with all the art tools inside. You gave her another thanks to which she smiled sweetly in return.  
  
  As you stuffed the plastic bag carefully into your school bag, you walked along the aisles, still under the spell of high-quality, pristine, and extremely professional art tools covered in bright and bold _SALE_  stickers. You had spent most of your money the weekend before buying presents for loved ones, and today you had spent the last of it and so now you were definitely broke. That didn't stop you from browsing anyway.  
  
  The amicable silence between you and the art tools was broken by the sound a bell ringing. A rush of cool air swept by you and you guessed that somebody had probably entered the store. You only needed to look through the gaps in the shelves to see the entrance, and when you who it was, your heart leapt.   
  
  It was the cute boy in your Chemistry class.  _Err._ _His name... Roxas? Yes, Roxas._  What was he doing in an art store? He never struck you as an artsy kind of guy. Well you never really spoke to him anyway so you wouldn't know.  
  
  You watched him put down his hood—which was totally against uniform regulations, you noted—before running a hand through his blonde hair causing you to swoon. When he began to approach the aisle you took refuge in, your heart started to race and you quickly tiptoed to the neighbouring aisle just as he entered the aisle you stood in just moments before.  
  
   _Should I leave?_  It would be kind of awkward if he saw you leave without even greeting him or anything.  _Should I say hi? Agh, I don't even talk to him._ You resisted the urge to rip out your hair. Unbeknownst to your inner turmoil, Roxas was browsing absentmindedly through all the artist pens and inks.  
  
  The intensity of the rain had increased considerably since school had ended and he wasn't foolish enough to walk all the way home through the storm.   
  
  Maybe if he had an umbrella he'd be able to walk it, but he had himself and Hayner to blame for that. With their struggle bats nowhere to be found, they used their umbrellas as a substitute during practice. Roxas grinned at the memory before the sound of the pelting rain brought him back to reality. He sighed. The storm didn't show any sign that it would be letting up soon. Might as well try to find entertainment for himself here.  
  
  His fingers traced over the embellished lettering of a calligraphy set before he moved on towards the other shelves. Roxas was taken aback when he saw the shelf of ink pots and artist pens of almost every colour imaginable. Anything art related always reminded him of this girl in his Chemistry class. Sure there was Namine, whose talent was well known amongst the student body, but Roxas was the kind of guy to root for the underdog. God knows he knew how it felt like. His brother, Sora, was just like the sun. Bright, warm, life-giving... and sometimes a little annoying. And Roxas, well, he was just Sora's brother.  _The other one._  
  
  Uncapping the lid off of one of the blue pens, he scribbled on the piece of scrap to sample the ink. With the ink rolling off smoothly onto the paper, he nodded to himself deciding to buy it. He'd kept forgetting to buy new pens since his current ones had dried out. Olette would be happy tomorrow at school when he wouldn't have to ask her if he could borrow a pen of hers again.   
  
  As he made his way to the cashier, he caught a familiar head of hair stuck in a book causing him to stop momentarily in his tracks.  _[Name]..? Figures that I'd find her in a store like this._ He'd never really spoken to you before, but there was a first for everything, right? There was nothing better to do anyway with the rain bucketing outside.  
  
  When you noticed a silhouette approaching, you silently prayed that it was the old lady cashier and not the blonde boy. It wasn't a serious crush you had on him, rather he was just eye candy and provided you with something to look forward to in what would otherwise be a really boring class.  
  
  "Are you stuck here too?" At the sound of his voice, your head snapped up meeting very blue eyes.  
  
  "Huh?" _Intelligent response, [Name],_  you thought.  
  
  "I don't have an umbrella," he said, secretly relishing the cute expression of surprise on your face. "And the rain looks like it isn't going to stop anytime soon."  
  
  "Oh," you replied dumbly. "Err... I have an umbrella. Maybe we could share...?" You trailed off and blanched when you realised how forward you were being. _Too bold. Way too bold [Name]! You'd barely even spoken to the guy!_    
  
  "Or," you interjected sharply, "Or you can just borrow my umbrella. I have a raincoat in my bag so it's okay."  
  
  His eyes widened at your offer, but the shocked expression on his face left as quickly as it came. He shook his head and replied in a curt tone.  
  
  "No, no. I'm sure the rain will let up soon. I think I'll just wait it out."  
  
   _Wait it out? Just what was his definition of 'soon'?_  you wanted to ask. It wasn't even bucketing outside anymore. It was more like  _flooding_. Okay, so maybe you we're exaggerating a little, but  _this guy..._  
  
  "Oh, my name is [Name] by the way," you started when you realised that you had both forgotten to introduce yourselves. "We have chemistry together, I think." You grinned inwardly at your double-entendre.  
  
  "Yeah, we do," he said blankly, rolling his eyes subtly and lips curling in faint amusement. You felt your heart stutter. "And I'm Roxas."  
  
  "You getting anything?" He asked as he made his way to the cashier. You followed and walked beside him.  
  
  "Nah, I already did," you said, patting your bulging school bag. As he stopped in front of the counter, he looked back at you with a quizzical expression on his face.  
  
  "Then why're you still here?" He said casually, though it still did nothing but unsettle your nerves. He missed the look of frozen shock on your face as he was fishing spare coins out of his pockets.  
  
  "I... uhh.. umm..." The old lady behind the counter wiggled her eyebrows suggestively looking between you and the blonde boy. You scowled at her. Roxas didn't notice your sudden shyness, and if he did, at least he had the decency not to react to it.  
  
  You coughed into your fist and tried to redirect the conversation. "Well what about you?"  
  
  "...?" Roxas looked at you with his brows furrowed. He was pretty sure he'd already told you that he didn't have an umbrella and that he wasn't moronic enough to get drenched in the storm.  
  
  "What I mean," you began, turning away from him so he wouldn't see the blush rising to your cheeks. "What I- no- I mean, you'll just be stuck here kind of alone and... is it okay if I-" Despite constantly stumbling over your words, there wasn't any sign of derision on his face which you were grateful for.  
  
  The way he waited patiently had your insides in a frenzy. Clearing your throat, you will yourself to hold his gaze.  _Just say it._  "I'll wait with you here until the rain stops."  
  
  The moment the words left your lips, silence fell over you and the boy like a thick veil. Was that too much? The cashier retreated to the storeroom and you swore you heard her giggling. Roxas was just staring at you wide-eyed and you mirrored his expression.   
  
  Yes, you didn't know the boy very well, but you were an adamant believer in doing the right thing. The weatherman had forecasted ongoing showers from the afternoon and all throughout the night, and you weren't just about to leave somebody, let alone your crush, under the mercy of the rain. _Argh, maybe if you could convince him to share your umbrella with you-!!_  
  
  "You," Roxas ground out, snapping you out of your inner monologue. He sounded a bit angry. He took a deep breath and then exhaled, running a hand through his blonde hair. Light pink dusted his cheeks  _\- oh, could he possibly?_ No, he's probably just angry at me.  
  
  "You... don't need do that," you heard him mutter. He turned away, obviously not interest in what you had to say anymore. You clenched your fists.  _Oh, did he think he was getting rid of you so easily?_  
  
  "Well," you said, grabbing the sleeve of his hoodie forcing him to turn around and face you again. "Where are you headed to then?"  
  
  He looked a bit unsure but answered you anyway. "Sunset Terrace."   
  
   _Damn_ , you cursed inwardly. You didn't let that show on your face though, grinning widely at him. It was actually in the opposite direction you were meant to go.  
  
  "Oh! That's in the way to my place!" You lied smoothly. You winced at the long distance you'd have to walk but shook it off. A little detour never hurt anybody!  
  
  As you eagerly dragged him by the sleeve to the entrance of the shop, he shrugged off your grip roughly causing your stomach to drop. You thought he'd finally had enough of you but when you saw him hesitantly following you to the entrance, you smiled at him. It would be a complete lie if you said that you had no ulterior motives. By the end of today, you hoped you'd have a new friend in Roxas.  
  
  When you opened the door, the cold air and the sound of water pitter-pattering the ground greeted you. You opened your umbrella and stepped under it, revelling in the feeling of the little particles of water still splashing onto your bare legs and arms despite being under cover. _Huh, maybe it would be a good time to get out my raincoat out of my bag_ , you mused. But you knew you were far too lazy for that.  
  
  You looked at Roxas expectantly who had a frown marring his face. You frowned back at him, waiting patiently.   
  
  When he noticed how little the space you two had to share under the umbrella, his resolve crumbled in an instant.  
  
  "I don't really mind sharing my umbrella," you reaffirmed him, "I really don't." He felt his anger bubbling. The soft tone in your voice had the opposite effect on him. _You weren't babying him, were you?_  He clenched his fists.  
  
  "Well I do." You reeled back at the iciness in his voice.  _Wow._  You knew he was moody, but not this moody. Regaining your composure, you furrowed your brows at him. You made this much progress already and you certainly weren't going to give up.  
  
  "What, but you just said-"  
  
  "I didn't say anything," he said matter-of-factly. Well he got you on that one.  
  
  "But-"  
  
  "Forget it, I've changed my mind." With a huff, he turned away from you again before heading back into the store. But before he could get any farther, you gripped the head of his hoodie with a maniacal grin.  
  
  "Ah, so you were going to accept my offer."  
  
  A shade of pink dusted his cheeks and you grinned. Hopefully you weren't being delusional in thinking that you were getting closer to him with him freely expressing his annoyance at you. With a twinkle in your eye, you took advantage of his momentary hesitance by dragging him under your umbrella.  
  
  "What are you doing!?" he cried in distress as you looped an arm around his to keep him as close as possible as to not get wet. You cackled inwardly at his flustered state.  
  
  "Being a nice person," you countered calmly and began walking with, kind of dragging him, in the direction of Sunset Terrace. "Sunset Terrace is this way, I think..." you muttered to yourself, reading street signs.  
  
  "I told you, I don't need your help!" he seethed out. Oh, he was still going on about that? C'mon.  
  
  He did nothing but glare at you before snapping his hood over his head and wriggling out of your grip.  _Oops. Did I say that out loud?_  
  
  You were no challenge for his strength as he managed to escape your grip without any kind of struggle on his part. He began to stalk his way ahead of you, almost in a frantic manner and you could only watch as the colour of his hoodie grew visibly darker with the rain pelting down harshly on his backside.   
  
  As the distance grew between you two, so did a strange feeling of emptiness inside of you.  
  
  "Wait!" you called out, running down the slippery path to catch up to him. You cried internally when you stepped into a rather deep puddle, feeling cold water seep into your socks. Roxas fell to a stop but he didn't turn to face you. You noticed him clench his fists at his sides causing you to gulp nervously.  
  
  "Look," you began shakily, "you need to get to Sunset Terrace, which is well in the way to where my place is. You aren't bothering me at all or anything like that! I promise. And if I overstepped any boundaries, I am so sorry. I never meant to annoy you or anything, I just-" you halted, letting the words die on your tongue.  
  
  I just wanted to be closer to you, is what you wanted to say.   
  
  At your sudden silence, you saw the boy turn his head slightly allowing his bright blue eyes to meet yours. You took a deep breath and forced yourself to continue.  _Might as well be honest about things._  
  
  "But really, sharing my umbrella with you wouldn't be a bother at all. In fact, I'd love it! I mean, uhh..." You coughed into your fist as he abruptly turned away to hide his face again, his right arm covering the lower half of his face. With your gaze facing downwards apprehensively, you didn't notice Roxas coming closer to your form.  
  
  "Fine." you heard him say much closer than you thought he was, startling you out of your wits. Despite that, the single word lifted a weight off of your shoulders. You laughed lightly.  
  
  "... So grumpy." you muttered under your breath, biting your lip to prevent you from smiling to widely. He rolled his eyes at you and shoved you in retaliation. You shouldered him back just as hard causing you both share a small smile at each other. As you both settled into a comfortable walking pace, you felt his hand wrap around over your one holding the umbrella, and you swore that you just heart stopped just then and there.  
  
  "I'll hold it," he said, gently prying your fingers from its hold. You could only nod as you let your hand fall away from his touch. Muttering a small thanks, he gave you a hesitant smile in return.  
  
  The silence between the two of you was tense. A stark contrast to the calming pitter-patter of the raindrops around you. When you looked at the blond walking alongside you with an almost thoughtful expression on his face, you sighed longingly.   
  
  You never imagined that your first real interaction with your crush would be like this. He must be put off by your brashness. Hah, you'd be lucky if he even liked you as a friend. You felt a sudden surge of insecurity. He's the nice one. He's probably just putting up with your antics because he's nice. The negative thoughts begin to bog you down, and suddenly you're dragging your feet. You expected Roxas to snap at your change of pace, but to your surprise, he simply fell into your step.  
  
  "Hey," he said hesitantly. "Thanks." Your lips twitched into a small smile, a genuine smile, at his expression of gratitude and you're quick to notice the way his twitch into a smile too.  
  
  "Took you long enough," you said. He nudged you lightly in the ribs with a slight glare.  
  
  "I'm sorry too," he continued. "When you offered to share your umbrella and even wait with me, I dunno. It caught me off guard. I didn't know what to do or think. I-" he paused, searching for words to say. It wasn't everyday that a cute girl came and offered to share her umbrella and walk you home.  
  
  "And so you went all Larxene on me. Because I caught you off guard." You reasoned, your voice void of any detectable emotion.  
  
  "Well, not just that but-" his words got caught in his throat when he turned to look at you, finally noticing the severe lack of distance between the two of you. You were so much more prettier up close, he noted.   
  
  "I- uh- never mind," he finished lamely. You merely raised a brow at him but said nothing.  
  
  "I've just never come across someone so nice before," he mused.  _To me_ , he wanted to add. He was kind of invisible, and it was rare for someone outside of his friend circle to pay attention to him. You smiled at him understandingly.  
   
  As you turned down the street, you realised that there was only a a block or two left until you reached Sunset Terrace. You felt a bit sad at that thought. You didn't want to part ways when the two of you were just starting to get along.  
  
  Your ears suddenly picked up the sound of an engine, completely ruining the quiet calm of the rain. A car suddenly raced passed you and Roxas, and being on the side closest to the road, you were met with the unfortunate fate of becoming completely drenched by a splash of cold rainwater from the stupid puddle that the stupid car had raced through.  
  
  You seethed as your fists clenched, gripping the ends of your very damp skirt. You turned to face Roxas who looked completely mortified, and then you realised that your uniform shirt was white, and when white clothes are wet,  _they're_ —you wrapped your arms around your frame defensively and flushed a deep crimson.  
  
  "If anyone should've been splashed, it should've been you," was all you could muster in your flustered state.   
  
  He rolled his eyes at you before his slightly shaking hands shoved the umbrella into your grasp. Your jaw went slack when you watched him pull the hoodie over his head. His shirt rode up a little, flashing his lean abdominal muscles which caused your ears to turn red as well.  
  
  "Here." Pulling down the ends of his shirt, he handed you his hoodie with a slight blush on his face. You took it gingerly and smiled at him in thanks. Yes, you had your raincoat in your school bag but that wouldn't have given you the same comfort.   
  
  Actually, the hoodie kind of felt like a warm hug from him, you thought sentimentally with a goofy grin on your face as you walked alongside the boy.  
  
  "You can just return it to me later," he said, the cute blush still adorning his features as you continued to stare at him with grateful eyes.   
  
  "Um, this is it," he said nervously, uncomfortable under your gaze, "you can head off home now." It was only then you realised that you were both standing in front of a small apartment complex. This was probably where he lived.  
  
  "Oh, right!" you said sheepishly with a nervous laugh. He bit his lip from smiling. Damn, your laugh was contagious.  
  
  "I- see you around?" Before you made your trek back, you looked at him with hopeful eyes. He felt his heartbeat quicken exponentially.  _Play it cool_ , he thought to himself.  
  
  "Yeah, definitely."  
  
  You both shared a final smile before you went different ways.  
  
  Yes, you barely knew the boy. But with his hoodie hugging your form, and the image of his beautiful smile imprinted into your mind, you couldn't help but feel just a little bit more closer to him.

**Author's Note:**

> so with kh3 finally coming out, i was looking through my files for old kh/ff fics and found this cute little oneshot. this was originally written in 2014! i was dreamthoughts on wattpad! might continue some of my old stories i have for kh/ff too because i'm falling in love with the whole universe again!


End file.
